I will be leaving for India for business in a few months below is a list of what I have personally brought to have a fun and safe trip. If you need links to the items just hover your pointer over the title and click. Any purchases made with the links will help support this website and bring more content for you to read. Thank You

Health Websites

Check these for the current health advisories

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/india.html

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/india

Steripen Fits All Filter

The reason why is because India's Water isn't great so this filter removes particulates from water. Also, it's compatible with all types of water containers. It is more convenient to bring this around along with the Steripen than having the filter that only fits one bottle type. I definitely don't use only one bottle to drink water.

Steripen UV Purifier

No point in having the fits all filter without the UV Purifier. The UV Purifier dDestroys over 99.9% of bacteria Viruses and protozoa, like Giardia and Cryptosporidium Certified for purification by the water quality Association. A must if you have questionable water sources. Keep in mind you can't use the UV Purifier with ice or murky water or any other beverages as it's ONLY FOR WATER.

Clothes

Of course, you are going to need clothes. Make sure to cover up as you aren't allowed to wear shorts that go above your knees, those you can keep at home. Also, you can buy clothes in India that will be fitted for you.

Swimsuit

While is not recommended to swim in lakes and rivers you could swim at swimming pools or at the beach.

Hat

You will need a hat to keep you warm and give you sun protection. The one I got covers all around and even has removable neck and face protection.

Dry Bag/Sack or Plastic Sealable Bags

I will be in India when the monsoon season hits, so it's best to have a bag to keep your stuff dry. Also, it will help with keeping humidity and insects out of your stuff.

Lonely Planet India (Travel Guide)

Self-explanatory, It tells you of all the places you should go check out. And you can keep it with you at all times as it does come in pdf format.

Inside Lonely Planet's India Travel Guide:

eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones)

Sandals or Crocs

Makes it easier for showers or if you are visiting a temple. You can choose from many styles as you like.

Closed Toe Shoes

Make sure it has good support as you will be most likely walking on uneven surfaces. So sneakers or hiking boots would be preferred.

Laundry Soap Sheets

For those places that don't have a laundry machine. These sheets will allow you to wash your laundry in the sinks or anywhere that has water like the shower.

Laundry Bag

Throw all your laundry here and take it to the cleaners. At my training center, there is staff that will clean your laundry within 24hrs so this will help keep you organized and easily fits into your luggage.

Earplugs

India is not a quiet place. Carrying earplugs will help you protect your ears and let you sleep better. I recommend the reusable earplugs as they will take less space, less waste and it's reusable.

Earphones/Headphones

Noise Cancelling Earphones/Headphones would be great to listen to your own music/videos without being distracted.

Travel Pillow

Makes it more comfortable to travel

Eye Mask

Makes it easier to block out light and easier to fall asleep but takes some time to get used to.

Cable Locks

To give you peace of mind when you take a nap or go travel outside your hotel. You can fix them to something heavy like furniture or a pole.

Padlocks

If you decide to go visit a hotel I recommend you use your own locks and preferably one that uses a combination so that only you will have access to the lock. Use it while you are away or sleeping at night.

TSA Compliant Locks

This will help breeze thru checkpoints and also when you check your bags then the TSA wouldn't have to break your lock as there is a key hole for TSA agents to use a key to open and inspect your luggage.

Insect Repellent

There are different types of insect repellent. Permethrin, which you spray on your clothes and it will repel insects from 2 weeks to 6 months depending on how long the clothes are treated. Deet is used in most common insect repellent but only works for a couple of hours. Picaridin is odorless, does not melt plastics, or feel oily on the skin. It can be as effective as DEET.

Sunscreen

You don't want to get a sunburn, don't you? I recommend you bring a bottle of sunscreen. Also, you should apply sunscreen before you apply insect repellent.

Down Vest

If you plan to travel to the Himalayas then it's recommended you have a down vest and camping gear as it will be cold there.

Travel Towel

They are light weight and dry fast. You can use them for cleaning anything. From your body to a messy table. You can also use it to cool down by putting water on it. Plus it takes up a lot less space than a normal bath towel.

Daypack/Backpack

Good to have for a day of travel when you are visiting temples or just exploring. I would also recommend getting an anti-theft backpack so all of your belongings will be safe from thieves.

Money Belt/Pouch

Keep your money, passport and travel documents safe. You can either fasten it around your waist under your shirt or use a pouch hanging from your neck depending on your preference.

Hand Sanitizer/Wipes

It's dirty in India so best to keep some wipes or hand sanitizer around to get rid of germs/bacteria. Also, some sinks don't have soap so this would be the next best thing.

Water Bottle

A good way to hold beverages. There is also a UV Purifier Water Bottle if you don't want to carry a steripen. Also, you can buy bottled water in India relatively cheap but only recommend Bisleri, Kinley, and Aquafina.

Mosquito Net

This will prevent mosquito bites at night, which prevents contracting malaria, Zika, any mosquito-carried diseases.

Spare Glasses

If you wear glasses like me then this is a must

Dust Mask 

Pollution is bad in big India cities. These dust mask will help reduce the particulate that you breathe in. These are more effective than a cloth or bandana.

Med Kit

It's good to carry a first aid kit for cuts and scrapes. Keep in mind if you get bitten or scratched by an animal you need to seek immediate medical attention as animals in India might have rabies.

Duct Tape

I put duct tape here because you can use it to make temporary fixes or use it to hang your mosquito net

Snacks

You should bring some snacks so you can have something to eat while you adjust to the food in India. Just make sure you follow the rules while going thru airport security.

Luggage

You are going to need something to store all your stuff.

Swiss Army Knife

For cutting fruit and other uses

Watch/Alarm

To Keep track of time. I'll be using my Fitbit which syncs to my phones time.

Sleeping Bag

A sleeping bag is always useful when you are traveling by bus, train, airplane, etc.

Medication And Ointments

I'm not a doctor so consult one before you leave

Multi-Vitamin - Good to keep your health good when it's hard to find safe, wholesome food.

Acetaminophen -Temporarily relieves minor aches and pains due to a headache, muscular aches, minor pain of arthritis, toothache, backache, the common cold and premenstrual and menstrual cramps

Probiotics - Maximize the benefits of a healthy diet, boost nutrient absorption, relieve constipation and support digestive health

Medicated Body Powder - To stay cool and dry for peak performance or just want to relieve and prevent skin discomfort

Activated Charcoal - Very effective for stopping diarrhea and dysentery or Delhi Belly. Take 2-4 tablets when you have a sign of diarrhea and you will back to normal within 1-2 hours.

Anti- Diarrheal - Controls the symptoms of Diarrhea

Diphenhydramine - Relief from sneezing and running nose, Itching, Watery Eyes, Hay Fever symptoms, Itching of Nose or throat

Motion Sickness Relief - Prevents nausea, dizziness, and vomiting

Antacid Tablets - Fast relief of acid indigestion, heartburn, sour stomach and upset stomach; neutralizes excess stomach acid

Bengay - Relieves minor muscle and joint pain

Neosporin - Provide infection protection and minimize scars With neomycin sulfate, bacitracin zinc, and polymixin B 24-hour infection protection Patented technology results in visibly healthier skin Minimizes appearance of scars

Antiseptic - First aid antiseptic wash, kills germs and helps prevent infection, relieves pain from minor cuts, scrapes, and burns

Electrolytes - Good to keep you hydrated while in India, since it's going to be hot and being hydrated is very important, or after you had dysentery or diarrhea. Anti-Malaria (Malarone) - You will definitely need this for your trip. The one I got was called Malarone. You will need to take 2 before you enter India, 1 per day you are in India and 7 when you are out of India. You will need to talk to your healthcare professional about this as you will need to get a prescription. If you don't have insurance you can use goodrx.com to get discounts on your medication. For me, without insurance, the total comes to about 2 per pill.

Hygiene

Toothbrush - I recommend 1 every 3 months you are there

Toothpaste - For me, a 6 oz will last about 3 months

Razor and Blades - Got to keep that stub down. You can bring shaving cream if you need it. I normally shave after a hot bath so no shaving cream needed.

Floss 

Deodorant - To keep your odor down

Mouthwash - Keep your mouth fresh. I don't use mouthwash but use a product that keeps my breath called the orobrush, which scraps your mouth and removing the bad breath bacteria replace every 3 months

Soap - I use bar soap which should last a month of normal use. It cleans bacteria better than other types of soap and uses less.

Shampoo - I recommend getting a shampoo that does more than one function to save space in your luggage.

Lotion - Keeps your skin soft.

Comb - Keeps your hair straight

Toilet Paper - Toilet Paper isn't used much in India so it's best to bring a couple rolls from home or buy travel toilet paper where it doesn't have the middle roll. You can just remove the middle roll to make it easier to pack.

Lip balm with SPF - Keeps your lips from drying out

Mini Mirror - Incase there isn't on near you

Nail Clippers - You don't want your nails growing out too long right?

Q-tips - To apply ointments or clean your ear canals.

Electronics

Portable Hard Drive - Internet connection in India can be slow to upload to the cloud so I would recommend a portable hard drive if your laptop doesn't have enough space.

Laptop - I would recommend a cheap laptop that will be able to do what you need to do while you are traveling. For example, I got a 100 laptop from craigslist so if I lose it or it gets stolen it wouldn't be a big deal. I also have a gaming laptop but with the speed, price, and security in India it's best to leave that at home. I just need to be able to surf the web while I'm in India.

Unlocked Phone - You won't be able to use your phone if it isn't unlocked. Most carriers now and days will unlock your phone if you have paid it off. Some phones come unlocked. Also, make sure to check if your phone supports the bands used in India. Go to http://willmyphonework.net/ to check it out

Plugs and Cables - Make sure you have all the cables and plugs you need. Chargers - Most electronics need to be charged now and days. For example your phone. I charge all my electronics at night so they are ready for the next day. Tripod - Get that perfect shot when you have no one around to help you.

Plug Adapter - Converts your plug to fit the plugs of other countries. I bought one pack for the whole world. A must if you travel internationally.

Universal Power Strip - I don't know where you are going but most likely you will have more than one electronic device, so having more plugs is also a must. Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers - Some of my electronics like the steripen require batteries. Having rechargeable batteries makes sure you won't have to go out and buy them and it's better for the planet and less waste. Can't have rechargeable batteries without a charger

Headlamp - India's power fluctuates and goes out from time to time. A Headlamp allows you to use your hands while being able to see where you are going.

230-volt converter - The US uses 120 volts so you will need to convert that to 220 volts or the other way if your device doesn't support 220 volts. To check usually the voltage is printed on the device itself or on the power brick.

Camera - India has lots of temples and places to see. I would recommend a camera or use your phone just make sure to keep enough battery for emergencies. Also, make sure the sd card is inside or together with your camera equipment. I also have a 360 camera that I'll bring to get a more immersive photo or video.

Travel Apps

Google Translate - If someone speaks a different language you are covered 

Google Maps - Find your way around town. You can download maps for offline use

Google Trips and Trip Advisor- Find places to explore

Money Converter - Make sure you get the latest exchange rate

Mobile Passport - New Mobile App to Speed Up Arriving in the US from international destinations

ixigo Cabs - Compare & Book Taxi - Compare prices between all available rideshare services in india

Uber / Ola - Sedans and Auto Rickshaws

Jugabee - Auto Rickshaws

Important Documents

Make sure you have a digital copy as well

Passport and Visa - You can't enter the country without either. Some regions require additional visas. You can obtain a Nepal Visa when you arrive at the Kathmandu airport.

Cash - Good to carry cash to exchange but don't carry too much. I would recommend you get a debit card with no ATM fees as ATMs are all over India. Also if you use an ATM stay aware of your surroundings and if you can try to access the ATM during the day. The card I recommend is the Charles Schwab Debit Card. As they reimburse you for unlimited ATM fees and don't charge a currency transaction fees. If you are interested please click here and fill out the form as shown below and add your email address. Then sign up for a checking and broker account for no monthly fee accounts. You don't have to use the broker account but it's required for no monthly fees.



Credit Cards - Make sure you contact your credit card companies and let them know how long you plan to travel. Credit cards are better to carry than a debit card as they have protections where debit cards have little to no protection and is a lot hard to handle if stolen.

Health insurance cards/documents - I recommend having a digital copy as you can pull it from multiple sources.

Travel insurance - If you opted to get travel insurance make sure you bring that with you as well

Reservations and itineraries - print them out and save them digitally. Also if you can get a sign in the native language for the first destination in India.

Local and International contact information - Such as hotels, host, business, etc. Transportation tickets - You can save these digitally to your phone and if you want you can print it out also

Emergency contacts and important addresses - Print this out and have it on you in case something were to happen to you.


To Your Success,


Robert Le